1. Technology Field
The present invention relates to a method of dispatching and transmitting data streams and particularly to a method of dispatching and transmitting data streams between a host system and a memory storage apparatus having a non-volatile memory and a smart card chip, and a memory controller and a memory storage system using the same.
2. Description of Related Art
The markets of digital cameras, cellular phones, and MP3 players have expanded rapidly in recent years, so that consumer demand for storage media have also rapidly increased. Rewritable non-volatile memory, such as flash memory, is one of the most adaptable memories for such battery-powered portable products due to its characteristics such as data non-volatility, low power consumption, small volume, and non-mechanical structure.
Furthermore, the user's increasing acceptance of electronic wallet and pre-deposit lead to the popularity of smart cards. A smart card is typically an integrated circuit (IC) chip which includes, for example, a microprocessor, a card operation system, a security module, and a memory module to allow holder of the smart card to perform preset operations. With the ability to provide computation, encryption, bidirectional communication and security functions, the smart card not only stores data but also protects the data stored therein. One exemplary application of the smart card is the subscriber identification module (SIM) of cellular phones that use global system for mobile communication (GSM). However, the smart card has a limit on the storage capacity. Thus, the smart card has recently begun to be combined with a large storage memory card to expand the storage capacity of the smart card.
Accordingly, how to identify whether a data stream from a host system is a command data unit belongs to a smart card chip and transmit response data unit from the smart card chip to the host system in a memory card equipped with a non-volatile memory module and the smart card chip is one of the important subjects.
Nothing herein should be construed as an admission of knowledge in the prior art of any portion of the present invention. Furthermore, citation or identification of any document in this application is not an admission that such document is available as prior art to the present invention, or that any reference forms a part of the common general knowledge in the art.